On a cruise ship with literally thousands of people, your cruise cabin is your own private 160 square foot piece of the ship that’s yours and yours alone. It’s where you’ll sleep, relax, get ready for the day, make romance, and shower… although maybe not all in that order.
After nearly 30 cruises, I’ve learned a thing or two when it comes to cabin tips that I think no cruise passenger should sail without. Some are common sense, some very few know. But if you’re about to sail, here’s what you want to know.
Careful Opening the Balcony and Cabin Door
Let’s start with one that anyone with a balcony cabin has made the mistake of doing at least once… and that definitely includes me. If you are sailing with a balcony, then inevitably there will be times that you have the door open to let in light and a breeze. It’s one of the big benefits of having this type of cabin.
But what you don’t want to do is open up the door to the hallway. Anyone that’s done this knows it creates a wind tunnel through your cabin. At best, it’s a decent breeze and rush of air that comes in. At worst, it can be strong enough to blow around light items around the cabin.
Like I said, it’s almost assured that at some point you’ll accidently do it and it’s not the end of the world. Just know it can be a major disruption to the room.
Bring a Surge Protector (But Know The Rules About Adapters)
One piece of equipment that you will hear to bring is an outlet adapter. Cruise cabins normally have limited outlet space. Start plugging in phone chargers, hair straighteners and anything else, and it doesn’t take much to run out of plug space.
So yes, bring the adapter but what you don’t want to do is bring one with a surge protector. If you bring one of those outlet strips, they typically have one built in. The issue is that the cruise lines prohibit surge protectors as it’s reported they can interfere with the ship’s electrical system.
Instead, those cheap adapters that give you three plugs in one space work perfectly. Now one important caveat — Royal Caribbean just changed the rules to specifically outlaw these adapters, so if you’re sailing Royal, you have to leave it at home.
Don’t Leave Naughty Things Out
When you cruise a room steward will come and straighten up the room once or twice a day. They don’t go through your things, but anything left out they will definitely seen.
So if you brought some lingerie to wear to spice things up, or maybe or a toy to enjoy on vacation, or maybe you snuck on some alcohol that you shouldn’t have brought… well, let’s just say that before you leave the room, be sure to put it away.
As long as it’s not illegal, it’s no big deal but it could make for some awkwardness the next time you see the steward.
Stinky Food and Cabins Don’t Mix
One nice thing about a cruise is that food is available around the clock and there is no rule that you have to eat it in a restaurant. Want to bring dessert back to the room? Want to order room service? Just want to sit and enjoy a meal on the balcony? You’re more than welcome to do so.
One piece of advice is to think about what you’re bringing into the cabin and never bring in stinky foods — especially if you have an interior cabin with no access to fresh air.
Those smells can linger and you don’t want to be smelling that meal well after you leave the cabin and come back.
Don’t Be Too Loud (There Are People Everywhere)
Your cabin is definitely your space. But on either side of you are people in their space. And directly above you are more people in their cabin. And across the hall? You guessed it… more people.
Cabins are fairly soundproof but not 100%. So if you’re yelling in your cabin or listening to loud music or stomping around, it’s likely going to be heard by someone else. This is especially the case in the hallways as cabin doors seem to let in lots of noise. And slamming doors also seem to carry through especially loud.
You don’t have to treat your room like a library, but never be too loud, especially late at night when most people are trying to sleep.
Safety Issue: Make Sure Your Door Latches
This one is a bit sneaky in that it’s likely something you won’t even notice, but it is a major safety issue.
Your cabin door will always close automatically, just like in a hotel. But what I’ve discovered over the years is that the power of the automatic closing doesn’t always mean the door fully latches. So it looks closed, but if someone were to try to pull it open from the outside, it would come right open.
All it takes just a little extra push to check and the door will automatically latch if it’s not. Also when you leave the cabin, give the handle an extra tug just to make sure it’s completely closed.
Keep the Room Clutter Free
Ok, you’re on vacation and my advice is to not leave the room messy? Am I actually saying to clean your room? Hear me out…
It’s true that you have a room steward who will come in and clean things up. That’s nice. But at the same time, cabins are small. If you have clutter everywhere like suitcases or clothes or dishes from room service or a bunch of toiletries strewn about, it doesn’t take much until that already small room starts to feel super cramped.
So I’m not saying you have to make the bed each morning, but keeping things a little tidy should make your room much more comfortable.
Wet Wipes Are a Must
Let’s talk your bathroom on the ship. It’s small and really only space for one person. But I want to talk about toilet paper. No matter how luxurious your cruise, your toilet paper is going to be awful. It’s that one-ply stuff that you can see through, and let’s say that it can be a little rough.
That’s why I always bring wet wipes for the cabin. Not only are they great for feeling fresher down there, but you can also use them to wipe down surfaces in the cabin if you’re worried about them not being clean enough.
Just one thing to make clear — if you do use wipes, don’t flush them down the toilet. You want to put them in the trash instead.
What to Know About Getting Frisky on the Balcony
If you think about romance when you sit out on your balcony, well you won’t be the first cruise passengers to have that thought. But if you do decide to have a little fun, you should never do it without considering how to be discreet.
It’s called a private balcony because your room is the only one with access, but others could accidently see things going on. The glass balcony can be reflective to where the people next door can get a glimpse if they walk out at the wrong time.
As well, the dividers often don’t go all the way to the ceiling or the floor and have small gaps that allow you to see into other balconies even if you’re not trying to do so. If you do decide to have fun, it’s a good idea to wait until night, keep it quiet and make sure you’re neighbors aren’t around before you start.
Never Leave Without the Keycard
Your keycard is everything on the cruise ship. It’s your credit card for onboard spending, it is your players card in the casino, and it’s also the room key. But while you need the card to get into the room, you don’t need it to get out.
In fact, some cruise ships require a card be placed into a special slot to enable the light switch. This means it can be way too easy to walk out the door, have it close and lock behind you, and then realize you forgot the card in the room.
You obviously never want to leave without it, so it’s a good idea to physically put your hands on the card before you walk out the door so that you can be sure it’s with you as you leave. Otherwise, you’re going to have to go down to Guest Services to be let back in.
Always Test the Safe on Day 1
Every cruise cabin comes with its own safe, usually located in the closet. It’s small, to the point where a laptop normally won’t fit inside. But it is enough space to cash, passports, phones, or other valuables. It’s always a smart idea to use the safe to avoid any sort of crimes of convenience where someone snags something simply because it’s sitting out.
You should always check the safe on the first day. It operates with a four-digit code. You put in the code and then press lock and you should hear it close tight. To open, you enter the same code again and then hit unlock.
I’ve been in some cabins where there’s been a malfunction before and had to call to the front desk to have staff come repair it. If you wait until you’re about to leave the room to use it for the first time, that could be an inconvenient delay.
Understand the Light Switches Before You Go Blind
Your cabin comes equipped with all sorts of lights — overhead lights, bathroom lights, vanity lights, reading lights, and more. They all have switches but they aren’t labeled and sometimes it’s not obvious which switch operates with light.
For instance, there will be a main light switch that turns on the bright overhead lights by the cabin door, but there’s often a second switch for the same lights by the bed so that you can turn them on and off without getting up.
The only issue is that the soft reading lights can also have a switch by the bed. So if you don’t know which switch powers which lights, you could try to turn on a soft light when you wake up only to be blinded by turning on the bright overhead lights.
Just play with the switches a little when you get to the room and you’ll be fine.
How to Avoid Being Turned Around Leaving the Cabin
Cruise ships can be notoriously easy to get turned around in. The cabin hallways have no windows and it’s just the same carpet and then door after door. If you’re not careful, you could be trying to go one direction only to realize after walking that you went the wrong way.
To help you tell forward from aft, many lines put in markers or clues, such as the carpeting on NCL that has fish or triangles that point forward. But really all you need is to know which direction to turn when you leave the cabin. Just check the ship map on the inside of the cabin door for reference and that way you’ll know which way it is to go to the front or back of the ship, making it faster to get where you want to go.
Smoking (Tobacco or Other Things) Isn’t Allowed (Can Get You Kicked Off)
Finally, I’ll leave you with one that hopefully is well known by now, but there’s likely a few people who still do it. I’m talking about smoking — cigarettes or anything else — in your cabin.
Fire is always a big danger on a cruise ship, so lines are pretty careful about anything that might start one. If you smoke, there are designated areas where you can do it, normally a certain spot on an outdoor deck and the casino.
But if you want to light up in the room — even on the balcony — that’s not allowed. If found, lines charge fines totaling hundreds of dollars that can put a dent in your wallet.
